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Forgetfulness Versus Memory Loss In The Elderly: Understanding The Signs
Lisa Reisman • Aug 29, 2019
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Forgetfulness Versus Memory Loss In The Elderly: Understanding The Signs
Regardless of your age, we have all been in situations where we might've forgotten a piece of information. It is a normal occurrence for most people. For people older than 65, there might be a more serious reason for chronic forgetfulness–like the onset of dementia. To help differentiate dementia and Alzheimer's disease from normal forgetfulness, you will need to understand the main differences.
- Mild Forgetfulness As We Age Is Normal: Some of us become a bit forgetful as we age. It may take a bit more repetition to understand and comprehend complex tasks. A doctor will be able to diagnose a possible cause to your forgetfulness. To help prevent and even reduce forgetfulness, practice mindfulness. You can utilize mindfulness by learning a new skill, volunteering, forging new relationships, getting plenty of sleep, exercising regularly, and reducing alcohol consumption. Mild forgetfulness can be vastly improved by attacking it from different points.
- Forgetfulness of Motor Skills Is Serious: Forgetting how to complete everyday tasks like driving, shopping, or even how to talk properly can stem from dementia. If a person older than 65 is habitually asking the same question repetitively, getting lost in familiar places, confusing the faces and identities of core people in their social and familial circles, being forgetful of normal hygiene practices–there is a strong case for dementia or Alzheimer's. Note that certain medicines or dosages can encourage forgetfulness and can be easily remedied. The American Association of Retired Persons notes that anxiety drugs, cholesterol-lowering medication, antidepressants, narcotic painkillers, and even certain antihistamines can cause memory loss.
Understanding The Difference Between Alzheimer's & Dementia
People of various age groups can suffer from Alzheimer's and dementia, but they are not a normal occurrence in any age group. They are both chronic ailments that can affect the daily lives of sufferers. That is where their similarities end. Dementia consists of a group of symptoms that affect memory and normal processing of information. Dementia can be caused by a myriad of diseases–including Alzheimer's. Cleveland Clinic has noted that about 70% of dementia cases stem from Alzheimer's.
Alzheimer's is a progressive disease that causes memory loss. The potential cause of Alzheimer's is heavily studied, but cannot be pinpointed as of yet. Abnormal protein deposits and plaque in the brain tend to be common with the brains of Alzheimer's sufferers. This plaque may hinder the transportation of information between brain cells.
5 Warning Signs Of Dementia and Alzheimer's
1. Challenges in Planning Skills: Basic arithmetic requires memory recall. Having great difficulty solving appropriate levels of arithmetic can be caused by dementia and Alzheimer's.
2. Chronic Memory Loss That Effects Daily Living: Forgetting important events and dates that affect daily life; repetitive asking of information.
3. Familiar Tasks Become Foreign Concepts: People affected with memory loss will have trouble driving their cars, bathing, or remembering their favorite pastimes.
4. Confusion of Family Members and Familiar Places: Acting like they are being introduced to a family member is painful and is a characteristic of advanced memory loss. Losing track of seasons or the passing of time may also happen.
5. Routinely Misplacing Personal Items: Normally, people can easily retrace their steps and find a lost personal item. Someone suffering from dementia or the onset of Alzheimer's won't have this skill.
People suffering from memory loss are still functioning human beings that deserve diligent care.
Complete Care At Home is a home care network that can provide in-home care for individuals suffering from memory loss. This allows them to stay within the confines of familiar surroundings, friends, family, and social circles, helping to give them and their current caregivers peace of mind. Contact Complete Care At Home
today to see how we can help.
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No matter what age, we all have moments of confusion. But when your elderly loved one is consistently exhibiting these signs, it might be because s/he is undergoing cognitive impairment. Having difficulty comprehending is a common sign these problems; however, it is often brushed aside as "old age." The person experiencing these difficulties may make excuses: the TV shows today are too complicated, their family members talk too fast, the lights are too dim to read. Ignoring the signs of comprehension difficulties, though, just make life harder for everyone involved. Comprehension and Confusion Comprehension is the opposite of confusion. Comprehension is a complex process in the brain through a system of nerves and chemicals, and it involves language, recognition, and function processes. Cognitive impairment disorders like dementia and Alzheimer's disrupt those complex processes. It can manifest as sudden memory loss, impaired motor coordination, and other more subtle thought processes that we will discuss. When someone has difficulty with comprehension, s/he has trouble putting together the various actions needed to perform a task. For example, your mom might need a cup from the cupboard. In order to do so, she must first decide she wants the cup. Then she might need to get out of her chair, walk across the kitchen, raise her hand, open the cupboard, and take the cup out of the cupboard. If she has difficulty with comprehension, she will have a hard time putting all of these elements to work to achieve her goal, which might result in several different outcomes: she could fall, break the cup, or just forget what she was doing before she reaches the cupboard. She knows what she wants to do but has trouble making all the connections necessary to get there. How Cognitive Impairment Affects Your Loved One Difficulty comprehending is frustrating for your elderly loved one and for you, but the first step toward helping your loved one is understanding what s/he is experiencing. Here are some examples of how someone with dementia or Alzheimer's disease might have trouble comprehending everyday situations. TV/books: Someone with dementia might not be able to follow a basic storyline and could not tell somebody else what is going on in the TV show or book. Social situations: Someone with dementia might see two children playing and interpret that they are fighting or vice versa. The person with dementia may step in and try to resolve the situation without realizing what is actually happening. Conversations: As with the TV/book example, someone with dementia can't follow an everyday conversation . S/he doesn't know who or what is being discussed and especially cannot tell when the subject matter has changed. Time: Someone with trouble comprehending will have difficulty telling time and might not know whether it is day or night. How Cognitive Impairment Affects You Because of these comprehension difficulties, the person experiencing dementia or Alzheimer's disease will rely on the people around him/her to tell him/her what is going on. For instance, your loved one may constantly ask you to repeat yourself. S/he may also have trouble following instructions. These situations can be aggravating for you, particularly if they are new, however it is important to understand that your loved one is not trying to bother you by failing to follow directions or asking you to repeat information over and over. These are symptoms of cognitive impairment , and neither you nor they can control it. If your family member begins to exhibit any of these signs, take him or her to your physician with a description of the comprehension difficulties you've noticed so that s/he has plenty of information for a cognitive function assessment. If the doctor diagnoses dementia or Alzheimer's, ask specific questions about treatment so that you can do your part to serve your loved one despite mild cognitive impairment. It is important to get help for your loved one, and there is no reason for you to care for your loved one alone. Caring for an aging relative requires time, patience, and expert care. Complete Care At Home can help you create a customized plan to meet the unique needs of your loved one with dementia or Alzheimer's disease. Contact us today for an expert assessment.
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